Over 10,000 people in England call for a neuro plan now!

Wednesday 21 October 2026

Our campaign for a neuro plan has made it to Westminster! Over 10,000 people signed our open letter calling on the UK Government to commit to a national neuro plan for England. And yesterday, we delivered it to the government.

Campaigners in England came together to hand deliver the open letter to Yvette Cooper, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. Our open letter tells the government why it must commit to a national plan.

Indu who lives with MS spoke about why she signed the open letter. She said:

Equity of choice is really important. We have already seen what a lottery it is to get certain treatments depending on where you live. This is such an unfair system. The NHS is currently crumbling due to lack of joined up strategy. Let's not repeat that pattern.

Speaking about the hand-in, Jon who also lives with MS said:

I signed the open letter because I feel strongly that the current generation of people who've been diagnosed with MS and future generations should get the best possible treatment and support as soon as possible so that they can stay in work and education.

Why we're calling for a neuro plan

The open letter follows the work we carried out with the Neurological Alliance. We worked together to develop the case for a dedicated Modern Service Framework for neurological conditions.

A Modern Service Framework (MSF) is a plan built around national standards and clear accountability. The UK Government has already committed MSFs for other conditions. We're calling for that same long-term commitment to improving care and treatment for neurological conditions.

Peter Lloyd, our Senior Policy Manager at the MS Society, said:

Right now, neurological services are overstretched, with access varying widely across the country. Many people wait more than a year to see a specialist. Others must travel miles from where they live to access the services they need.

And too many people with MS are reaching a crisis point, resorting to A and E because they don't have access to the right care soon enough.

But it doesn't have to be this way. The evidence is clear. And we are asking the government to work with us to change this. An MSF for neurological conditions would be a first but crucial step to addressing these problems and delivering change for people with MS and other neurological conditions.

Sam Mountney, Head of Policy and External Affairs at The Neurological Alliance said:

Alongside the more than 10,000 people who signed the open letter, we've bought together a powerful coalition of more than 40 patient organisations and professional bodies who are ready to help develop a deliver a Modern Service Framework.

This is a pivotal moment for neurological treatment and support. Advances in treatments and diagnostics and the opportunities of digital innovation offer a vital opportunity to transform care for millions of people affected by these conditions. Without a national plan, there is a real risk that these developments will be unable to deliver the change we need to see.

We need to government to join us, back the one in six people living with a neurological condition and deliver a Modern Service Framework.

With the right neuro plan in place through an MSF and a shared ambition, we're confident that the government could deliver:

• improved access to the support and services that people with neurological conditions need to live well. This could reduce avoidable health crises and avoidable emergency admissions by 30% by 2035
• improved outcomes tackling unwarranted variation across neurology services
• better access to services closer to home, reducing the burden of travel and making care more equitable
• economic benefits, supporting more people with neurological conditions to live well. And helping those who care for them to stay in work or education for longer

We're campaigning to improve care and treatment for MS across the UK

While we are campaigning for an MSF in England, our work to improve neurology services continues in all four nations.

In partnership with Wales Neurological Alliance (WNA), we wrote to Mabon ap Gwynfor, the Cabinet Minister for Health and Care. We're meeting with him in November.

We're committed to making sure improved neurology care is a priority for the Welsh Government. Through the WNA, we're working with Members of the Senedd. We hope to establish a Cross-Party Group for neurological conditions in the coming months.

In Northern Ireland, we've been campaigning about the challenges facing neurology services. In September, we took our joint campaign with the Northern Ireland Neurological Charities Alliance (niNCA), #FightForNeuro, to Stormont. We called for action from Parliament Building.

Recently, the Health Minister endorsed the Regional Review of Neurology Services and announced an additional £2.3m in recurring funding for neurology services. But this is a drop in the ocean compared to what's needed and doesn't go far enough.

We now need to see endorsement turn into action. We continue to campaign so that people with MS in Northern Ireland get the care, treatment and support they need.

In Scotland, following the end of the Neurological Framework for Action in March 2025, progress to implement the Long-Term Conditions Framework has paused. However, we continue to engage with Scottish Government officials and ministers. We're campaigning to ensure specialist neurological care and support for people living with MS is recognised as a priority.

Stay up to date with our campaigns

The UK Government now has an opportunity to make a real difference to people living with MS and other neurological conditions.

If you'd like to stay up to date on our latest campaigns, you can join our campaigns community. Our campaigns community will be the first to hear updates on how the government responds to our open letter. And you'll hear more about campaign action you can take to improve neurology in all four nations.

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